Case Study: Alabama Extension achieves widespread parent engagement and healthier family habits with SimpleTexting

How Alabama’s SNAP-Ed Improves People’s Lives with Texting

Alabama Extension at Auburn University’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—Education (SNAP-Ed), led by Katie Funderburk, needed a way to engage thousands of busy, often rural parents in their third‑grade Body Quest nutrition program despite limited time and transportation. To reach parents where they already are, Alabama Extension partnered with SimpleTexting and used SimpleTexting’s messaging platform to deliver program content and collect feedback.

Alabama Extension used SimpleTexting to gather ~4,465 parent phone numbers and send three automated texts per week across the 15‑week Body Quest curriculum, plus interactive polls and two‑way responses. Over 77% of parents stayed subscribed for the full term; survey results showed 96% enjoyed the messages, 95% used the tips, and 96% noticed increased fruit/vegetable consumption—clear, measurable improvements in family engagement and nutrition driven by SimpleTexting.

Alabama Extension

Katie Funderburk

Alabama Extension